Motor-control box for sanders



P. A. SOLEM 1,801,617

MOTOR CONTROL BOX FOR SANDERS A rilzl, 1931.

Filed April 18 1927 F- .i. F .4 J 6' g ////L\ I 3a 2 F a Jr C (L 10 I 1f ,M MJ L o J0 W J 13 Quiz/ 2f 33 1 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a PETER A. SOLEM, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS MOTOR-CONTROL BOX FOR SANDERS Application filed April 18,

l and practical construction providing a main set of contacts arranged to be opened and closed separately or collectively so that all of the motors of the machine may be started and stopped individually or as a group, and an auxiliary set of related contacts arranged to be used when the main set of contacts are thrown out so that the motors may be controlled individually for what is known as jogging or inching in the sanding of wood work.

The invention further contemplates the provision in connection with the main contacts of individual push buttons for the various contacts for throwing out any one or more of the contacts separately, in order,

a switch lever arranged to be set into either one of three positions, namely a run position, a stop position, and a jog position. In the run position all of the main contacts are thrown in except as they may be thrown out individually by use of the push buttons to stop certain motors; in the stop position all of the main contacts are thrown out but the lever when moved to this position will return of its own accord to the run position immediately upon being released, due to a cam action; and in the jog position of the lever all of the main contacts are held out and it is possible by use of the auxiliary contacts to control the motors separately for jogging.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of a motor control box made in accordance with the invention, a part of the cover plate being broken away 1927. Serial No. 184,606.

to show the arrangement of contacts and the means for operating the same.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the stepped line 22 of Fig. 1 look ing in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

The control box of the present invention,

as stated above, is designed especially for use on sanding machines for controlling the driving motors for the drums andthe driving motor for the endless feed bed. Thus, in a three drum machine, three motors designated A, B, and C, (Fig. 4) are required for the driving of the drums and a fourth motor D is required for the driving of the bed. By control of the motors A, B, and C singly or collectively the machine may be made in effect a one, two, or three drum machine as desired and by control of the motor D the bed may be started and stopped as desired. However the control box is also adaptable to use with other multiple-motored machines and it should not, therefore, be assumed that any limitation is imposed on the invention by reference to this one particular use to which the same has been applied. Before passing to a description of the control box it will be Observed in Fig. 4 that the motors are of the 8-phase A. C. type and have starting boxes (I, b, c, and d respectively,-suitably of any standard type, as for example the well known magnetically operated type, with feeder connections with the transmission lines 5, 6, and 7. Contacts 8 associated with terminals 9, hereinafter referred to as the main contacts, are arranged normally to complete circuits through terminals 10 by way of conductors 11 and 12 through the various motors. These contacts, as will presently appear, are arranged for operation either singly or collectively so that the motors may be started and stopped separately or as a group. Another set of contacts 13, hereinafter referred to as auxiliary contacts, are associated with terminals 14 and are arranged to be used when the contacts 8 are thrown out. They control the motors so that they can be started and stopped separately for jogging or inching, in which the motor is given only a few turns at each start. These contacts complete circuits with the terminals 10 through the .various motors by way of a feeder cOnnected with the line 7. V

The control box, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, comprises a casing proper designated. by the reference numeral 16. having a cover-plate. 17 fastened thereto as by means of screws 18. The contacts 8 and 13, along with their associated terminals 9 and 14 respectively and the common terminal 10, are provided in" banksoninsulation blocks or panels 19 within the box and suitable provision is made for the lead-in wires .so that the box may have proper. electrical connections with the motors when mountedon the frameof the machine,

itbeing understood ofcourse that the box will be placed at the operators station within convenient reach for the propercontrol of the machine. The main contacts 8 are spring-pressed into engagement with the undersidelof raised contact portions. 20 providedion plates 21 electrically connected with the terminals 10.- The auxiliary contacts, 13

are spring-pressed out of engagement with the contact portions22 providedat theother end of the plates 21. The main contacts 7 have leaf springs 23 provided in connection therewith the free ends of which engage the outer endsoflevers 24 serving as fingers for with the outer ends ofthe levers 24 for the 'individualdepressionofsaid levers so as to stop and start any one or moreof'the motors as desired/ Normally, of course, all of the main contacts are closed and the motors are in operation. However the depression of any one; or more'of thebuttons 27 will open the contacts ,and stop whichever. motors are associated with these buttons. Provision is also made. whereby all of the contacts may be opened together to-stop all of the motors simultaneously. v For this purpose a yoke 28 isprovided extending across all of the levers 24 as shown in Fig. 1 and pivoted as at 29 on the rod 1 ,The yoke 28 has pairs of spaced lugs 30 for engaging the. sides of the levers to hold the same'in proper position with respect thereto. The yoke 28 is operated by a switch lever 31 pivoted by means of a stem 32 100 the'cover plate 1']. The inner end of the stem 32 has a cross-head 33 thereon which is V-shaped in cross-section, as most clearly appears in Fig. 2, for reception ina V-shaped groove 34 provided in the yoke 28. The head 33 tits in the grove 34 when the yoke is in raised position, that is, when all of the main contacts 8 are closed and the lever 31 is in its run position. However the movement of the lever 31 to the stop position turns the heac 33 with reference to the groove 34 and the beveled faces thereof exert a cam action to force the yoke 28 inwardly against the action of the leaf-springs 23 and against the spring pressure of the contacts 8 to openthe latter. The movement from the run position to the stop positiondoes .not

angularly displace the head 33 sufficiently with respect to the groove 34 to hold the yoke 28 against returning to its normal position, and the moment the lever 31 is released the cam action of the head 33 in the groove 34 causes the lever 31 to swing back to its run position and, of course, the contacts 8 are again closed. Thereis, however, a-position in which the head 33fis disposed crosswise with respect to the groove 34 and will serve to hold the yoke 28 in its depressed position until the lever is moved back to the run position, or sufiiciently close to it. This position of the lever is known as the jog position. which, it will be noted, is approximately ninety degrees displaced from the runposition. The reason forthis provision will presently appear. As thusfar describedit will be manifest that the operator may momentarily stop the machine by swinging the lever 31 to the mid position and that, immediately upon the releasing ofthe lever, the same moves back to its run position andthe machine is thrown back into operation. Also the operator may stop any motor as desired by simply depressing the proper button. The word Stop? is therefore placed at the bank of buttons 27.

lVhen the switch .lever 31 is in the jog. position allot the main contacts are opened and the operator maythenturn the motors over separately as, much as desired. In jogging it isnecessary that it be possibleto stop the motors instantly when desired. as. the oporation is usuallyonly momentary. For this reason the auxiliary contacts 13 are normally out of engagement with the contact portions 22 and are arranged to be pressed into engagement by push buttons 34, the shanks 36 of which ride in direct engagement with the contacts as shown. The motors associated with the various contacts will be operated only so long as the contacts are held closed. For properidentification of the bank of buttons;35 the word Start is placed adjacent thereto. It is, of course, possible for the operatortojoganyone or more of the drum motors orthe drive motor for the endless feed bed.

I claim:

1. In a control box, the combination of a V plurality of terminals, contact portions for said terminals, contacts spring pressed normally in one direction relative to said contact portions, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted alongside one another with the free ends arranged to cooperate with the contacts to inove the same against the spring pressure in the opposite direction relative to the contact portions, separate manually operable devices for operating said levers to operate any one or more of said contacts, a yoke member for engaging all of said levers to operate the same together, a manually rotatable switch lever, and a wedge-shaped cross-head arranged to be turned by said lever, said yoke member having a wedge-shaped groove provided therein for the reception of the crosshead in one position of said switch lever, said head being arranged to ride out of said groove in the movement of said lever and thereby communicate movement to the yoke. 2. In a control box suitable for control ling a plurality of motors, the combination of a plurality of terminals having contact portions, contacts spring pressed normally in one direction relative to said contact portions, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted alongside one another with the free ends arranged to cooperate with the contacts to move the same against the spring pressure in the opposite direction relative to the contact portions, a separate push button cooperating with each lever to operate the same whereby any one or more of said contacts are operable at will, a yoke member for engaging all of said levers so as to operate all of the contacts independently of the push buttons, and a single manually operable means for operating said yoke member.

3. In a control box suitable for controlling a plurality of motors, the combination of a plurality of terminals having contact portions, one set of contacts cooperating therewith, said terminals having other contact,

portions, another set'of contacts cooperating therewith, the one set of contacts being spring pressed normally into engagement with the contact portions associated therewith and the other set of contacts being spring pressed out of engagement with the contact portions associated therewith, a separate push button for each of the first mentioned contacts for moving the same against the spring pressure thereof, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted alongside one another each having the free end thereof engaging one of the second named contacts, a separate push button cooperating with each lever to operate the same whereby any one or more of the second named contacts are operable at will, a yoke member for engaging all of said levers so as to operate all of the contacts independently of the push buttons,

and a single manually operable means for operating said yoke member.

4. In acontrol box suitable for controlling a plurality of motors, the combination of a plurality of terminals having contact portions, one set of contacts cooperating therewith, said terminals having other contact portions, another set of contacts cooperating therewith, the one set of contacts being spring pressed normally into engagement with the contact portions associated therewith and the other set of contacts being spring pressed out of engagement with the contact portions associated therewith, a separate push button for each of the first mentioned contacts for moving the same against the spring pressure thereof, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted alongside one another each having the free end thereof engaging one of the second named contacts, a yoke member for engaging all of said levers so to operate all of the contacts, and a single manually operable means for operating said yoke member.

5. In a control box suitable for controlling a plurality of motors, the combination of a plurality of terminals disposed in a row, said terminals having one set of contact portions disposed in one row-and another set of contact portions disposed in another row, a set of contacts spring pressed out of engagement with the first set of contact portions, a row of start push buttons, one for each of said contacts for moving the same against the spring pressure into engagement with the contact portions, any one or more of the con tacts being operable at a time, another set of contacts spring pressed into engagement with the other set of contact portions, a row of stop push buttons, one for each of the last named contacts for moving the same against the spring pressure out of engagement with the contact portions associated therewith, any one or more of said contacts being operable at a time, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted alongside one another with the outer ends thereof arranged for engagement with the last named contacts, a yoke member for engaging all of said levers to operate the same together whereby to disengage all of the last named contacts independently of operation of the last named push buttons, and a sin le manually operable means for operating the'yoke member.

6. In a control box suitable for controlling a plurality of motors, the combination of a plurality of terminals disposed in a row, said terminals having one set of contact portions disposed in one row and another set of contact portions disposed in another row, a set of contacts spring pressed out of engagement with the first set of contact portions, a row of start push buttons, one for each of said contacts for moving the same against the spring pressure into engagement with the contact portions, any one or more of the contacts being-operable at atime, another set of contacts spring pressedinto engagement with the other set ofcontact portions, a row of stop push buttons, one for eachof the last i named contacts for moving the same against and spanning all of said levers intermediate their ends, asingle means cooperating with the yoke member to move the same and communicate movement to all of said -leverssi-' multaneouslywhereby to operate all of the contacts simultaneously, the last mentioned means being operable from one limit position to another whereby all of the levers are either raised or depressed, and a row of push buttons, one for each of said levers cooperating with the free ends of the levers whereby to depress any one or more of said levers at a time. i 1

In witness of the foregoing I afix my signature.

PETER A. SOLEML switch member,,and a cross-head arranged to be turned thereby and to cooperate with the yoke member, one of the twolast mentioned members having a wedge-shaped groove provided thereln and the other member having a wedge-shaped portion received in said groove and arranged in the turning of said cross-head to ride into and out of said groove whereby to communicate movement to the yokemember. I v

7 In a control box for controlling a plurality of motors, the combination of a plurality of'terminalsdisposed in a row, said terminals having one set of oontactportions disposed in one row andanother set of contact portions disposed in another row',-a'set of contacts springpressed out of engagement with the first set of contact portions, a row of start push buttons, one for each of said contacts for moving the same against the, spring pressure into engagement with the contact portions, any one or more of the contacts being operable at a time, another set of con tacts spring pressed into engagement with the other set of contact portions, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted alongside one another with the outer ends thereof arranged for engagement with the last named contaots, a yoke member for engaging all of said levers to operate the'sametogethe-r whereby to disengage all of the last named contacts,

and a single manually operable means for operating the yoke member. 1

8. In a control box suitable for-controlling a plurality of motors, the combination with a plurality of terminals having contact porions, a row of contacts cooperating with the contact portions and spring pressed nor mally in one direction relative thereto, a pivot rod disposed substantially parallel with the row'of contacts, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted on said rod in spaced relation to one another with the free outer i ends thereof arranged to cooperate with said contacts, there being one lever foreach contaot,,.a yoke pivotally mountedon said rod 

